Description

Stand beneath Britain's hardest Munro - the mighty Inaccessible Pinnacle! First climbed in 1880, this fin of basalt rock is one of the most iconic mountains in the UK, and the only one necessitating rock climbing skills to summit.

To ascend the neighbouring (and slightly lower) Sgùrr Dearg however is a much more achievable undertaking, requiring Grade 1-2 scrambling skills and relatively straightforward route finding.

This allows the entry level scrambler to get into some breathtaking scenery at the heart of the Cuillin.

You may see climbers ascending or abseiling off the Pinn, some of whom will be on traverses of the entire ridge, a popular 2 day mountaineering odyssey requiring an overnight bivi.

On a clear day you'll be generously rewarded with stunning views of the ridge, and out to the islands of Rùm and Eigg, with the eagle eyed also able to pick out the prominent Cioch (of Highlander fame) on the obvious crag of Sron na Ciche to the South. Description: 1) Start at the Glen Brittle Memorial Hut parking (limited space for around 10 cars), and walk up beside the stunning Eas Mòr waterfall (probably the most impressive on Skye), turn right at the next path junction towards Coire Lagan, then turn sharply left at the next junction up the West ridge of Sgùrr Dearg.

2) Easy scrambling up a basalt dyke gets you onto a shoulder - after which it is a walk to around 800m from where the ground steepens.

3) Taking everything on the right hand (southern) side keeps the scrambling around grade 1.

At the final steepening before the In Pinn, switch to the left hand (Northern) side of the ridge to reach the summit at 978m.

The In Pinn will now be obvious as a fin of rock to the South. Numerous scrambling options exist in descent, including reversing the ascent route.

NOTE: The Inaccessible Pinnacle itself is a fin of rock atop the summit of Sgùrr Dearg and requires multi-pitch roped rock climbing skills or hiring a professional guide.